Lumbar spine CT cost in Columbus, OH — inpatient
In Columbus, OH, 15 hospitals list a cash price for CT scan of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast as an inpatient: from $835.25 to $1,321.45, with a median of $882.70. The lowest listed price is at Grady Memorial Hospital — $47.45 less than the median here. Across Ohio, the median is $1,016.70 at 100 hospitals.
Cash prices at 15 facilities across 9 cities for code 72131, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 31, 2026 and Apr 1, 2026.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Columbus, OH.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grady Memorial Hospital lowest Delaware, OH · (740) 368-5145 Hc Ct Lumbar Spine Wo Contrast | $835.25 | $1,285.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Doctors Hospital Columbus, OH · (614) 544-2136 Hc Ct Lumbar Spine Wo Contrast | $867.75 | $1,335.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Dublin Methodist Hospital Dublin, OH · (614) 544-8000 Hc Ct Lumbar Spine Wo Contrast | $867.75 | $1,335.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Grant Medical Center Columbus, OH · (614) 566-9164 Hc Ct Lumbar Spine Wo Contrast | $867.75 | $1,335.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Riverside Methodist Hospital Columbus, OH · (614) 566-5000 Hc Ct Lumbar Spine Wo Contrast | $867.75 | $1,335.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Pickerington Methodist Hospital Pickerington, OH Hc Ct Lumbar Spine Wo Contrast | $867.75 | $1,335.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Grove City Methodist Grove City, OH Hc Ct Lumbar Spine Wo Contrast | $867.75 | $1,335.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Berger Hospital Circleville, OH · (740) 420-8008 Hc Ct Lumbar Spine Wo Contrast | $882.70 | $1,358.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus, OH · (614) 722-2000 SPINE, LUMBAR, W/O CONTRAST | $1,296.00 | $1,440.00 | $936.00–$1,411.20 | 10% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Mount Carmel St Ann's Westerville, OH · (614) 546-4034 HC CT Lumbar Spine W/O Contrast | $1,321.45 | $2,033.00 | $88.62–$2,033.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Mount Carmel Dublin Dublin, OH · (380) 898-9000 HC CT Lumbar Spine W/O Contrast | $1,321.45 | $2,033.00 | $88.62–$2,033.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Mount Carmel Grove City Grove City, OH HC CT Lumbar Spine W/O Contrast | $1,321.45 | $2,033.00 | $86.95–$2,033.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Mount Carmel New Albany Surgical Hospital New Albany, OH · (614) 775-6600 HC CT Lumbar Spine W/O Contrast | $1,321.45 | $2,033.00 | $88.62–$2,033.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Mount Carmel East Columbus, OH · (614) 234-5000 HC CT Lumbar Spine W/O Contrast | $1,321.45 | $2,033.00 | $86.95–$2,033.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Diley Ridge Medical Center Canal Winchester, OH · (614) 838-7911 HC CT Lumbar Spine W/O Contrast | $1,321.45 | $2,033.00 | $88.62–$2,033.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $835.25, median $882.70, highest $1,321.45 — a 1.6× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 16 facilities here, median $1,089.35 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 7 of 7 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at none is it below every plan's rate. If you have insurance but have not met your deductible, you usually pay your plan's negotiated rate, which falls somewhere in the "Insurers pay" column. Paying cash can cost less, but a cash payment usually does not count toward your deductible. Ask the hospital for both numbers before you book.
What it is
This CT scan shows the bones of the lower back in detail. It is used after injuries and when an MRI is not possible.
What the price covers
The price usually covers the scan. The radiologist's reading may be billed separately.